2026 PlaceWorks Scholarship Recipients
We’re pleased to announce this year’s scholarship recipients—Jess Banh and Yaraith Navarro!
The annual PlaceWorks Scholarship Program, which is now in its 6th year, was established to provide financial assistance to California residents from historically underrepresented groups pursuing degrees in planning, urban design, architecture, environmental planning, landscape architecture, and related fields.
Jess Banh is a graduate student at the University of California, Irvine, and is pursuing a Master of Urban and Regional Planning. As a first-generation college student, Jess is dedicated to equitable community development—advocating for disenfranchised populations through policy and direct community engagement at the planning counter. After graduation, he plans to continue working on behalf of underrepresented communities.
Yaraith Navarro is a senior at the University of California, Berkeley, and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Landscape Architecture with a minor in Sustainable Design and Geography. Yaraith’s passions include urban greening, renewable energy hubs, and their impacts on minority communities. She hopes to pursue projects that utilize community-centered design to improve living conditions and air quality in underserved neighborhoods.
Please join us in congratulating Jess and Yaraith!
